In Las Vegas and the rest of Clark County, a food handler needs a Food Handler Safety Training Card issued by the Southern Nevada Health District before starting work in a food establishment, under section 2-601 of SNHD's food regulations. A course certificate from somewhere else doesn't replace it: you pass SNHD's own test, 20 multiple-choice questions for a first card, at 70%, in person by appointment, and the card is printed on the spot. It costs $25, lasts 3 years, and the renewal test is 10 questions, online at every other renewal if you're eligible. Renew after your card expires and it's $40, with a $15 late fee, and there's no grace period. A few people are exempt, including staff who only handle packaged food that doesn't need refrigeration, and guest chefs here for seven days or less. In the example below, a tortilla shop checks six people. Below are the rules, the fees, the example, and a free roster.
The short version
- A valid SNHD food handler card before employment in a food establishment.
- SNHD's own test, even if you've taken a course elsewhere: 20 questions for a first card, 10 for a renewal, 70% to pass.
- First-time testing is in person, by appointment, with valid photo ID.
- $25 for a first card or an on-time renewal; $40 if the card expired within the last two years.
- Valid for 3 years from issue.
- Online renewal is available at every other renewal, for eligible cardholders.
- An SNHD Certified Food Protection Manager card can stand in for the food handler card.
- Exempt: packaged non-TCS handlers, short-term guest staff, supervised volunteers, and a few others.
- TaroStack keeps the batch records and sign-offs an inspector reads; it doesn't track cards. More below.
The rules
| Rule | What SNHD says |
|---|---|
| Who | A person employed in a food establishment, except those exempt under 2-602 |
| When | A valid card in your possession prior to employment |
| Alternative | An SNHD-issued Certified Food Protection Manager card, after an accredited proctored exam |
| The test | First card: 20 multiple-choice questions in about 30 minutes; renewal: 10; 70% or better to pass |
| Where | In person at an SNHD office, by appointment; online renewal at every other renewal if eligible |
| Valid | 3 years |
| Proof | Shown to the Health Authority on request |
| Training | SNHD's free training book and videos, in several languages |
The card rule is sections 2-601 and 2-602 of SNHD's food establishment regulations; the test, fees and renewal are on its food handler program page. This covers Clark County only; other Nevada health authorities set their own rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
The fees
| Fee | |
|---|---|
| First-time card, test included | $25 |
| Renewal, card not expired, or expired more than two years ago | $25 |
| Renewal of a card expired within the last two years | $40, including a $15 late fee |
| Duplicate or replacement card | $20 |
| Retest, the next business day at the earliest | $5 |
Failing the test doesn't extend your expiry date, so test before the card runs out. How Nevada's home kitchen rules work is in Nevada cottage food laws.
Who's exempt
| Exempt | Condition |
|---|---|
| Packaged food handlers | Only packaged food that isn't TCS, and TCS food only incidentally |
| Temporary trainers and guest chefs | Working 7 calendar days or less in a 6-month period |
| Registered Environmental Health Specialists | |
| Volunteers in a school kitchen or for a 501(c)(3) | Supervised by a Certified Food Protection Manager |
| Inmates; people unable to get a card because of a disability | Supervised by a Certified Food Protection Manager |
An example: a tortilla shop
Sunset Road Tortilleria, a made-up tortilla shop in Las Vegas, Nevada, I use in these examples, makes corn and flour tortillas for its counter and for restaurants:
| Person | Covered? | Card issued | Status on October 16, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | No: SNHD Certified Food Protection Manager card | Not needed | |
| Tortilla maker | Yes | November 7, 2023 | Expires November 7, 2026 |
| Counter | Yes | March 18, 2025 | Current to March 18, 2028 |
| Counter, new | Yes; starts October 20 | Needed before October 20 | |
| Driver | No: carries only packaged tortilla chips, which aren't TCS | Not needed | |
| Guest chef, 3-day pop-up | No: 7 days or less in 6 months | Not needed |
The tortilla maker booked a renewal test for the first week of November, before the card's date, to keep the fee at $25 instead of $40. The new counter hire took the first-time test the week before starting. How a tortilla business's costs work is in tortilla business plan, and how a kitchen logs temperatures in temperature log template.
Get the roster
Download the Las Vegas food handler card roster. One sheet: each person, whether the rule covers them, the start date and card date; the date the card is needed, the 3-year expiry and the status fill in, red when overdue or expired. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
A card needed before the first shift, an expiry with no grace period and a late fee, and appointments to book: a stack of cards doesn't say who has to test next month.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack doesn't track food handler cards. It keeps the production records an inspector reads alongside them.
Batch records with sign-off. Printable batch-record forms carry your own checklist fields and a sign-off, so a batch of masa's checks, and who did them, are on the record.
People by role. Each person has a role, such as production, limited to the sites they work at, so the new counter hire sees orders, not costs.
Lots and expiry. Each batch of tortillas gets a lot with its production and best-before dates, and one recall report shows which restaurants got it.
| The job | Clipboard | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Who signed off a batch | Initials on paper | A sign-off on the batch record |
| What a new hire can see | Everything on the shared login | A role limited to their work |
| Which restaurants got a batch | Invoices | One recall report |
Lots, batches and recipes are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.